The British chain Aldi has built its social media communication around the ability to respond in real time and move away from traditional marketing practices. At this year’s OmniConnect conference, Darren Hawkins, Head of Effectiveness at McCann Worldgroup Europe & UK, described the change and the results of the brand’s social media communication. It was precisely this speed, authenticity and ability to capitalise on current events that drove the brand’s significant growth among the young audience the grocery chain targeted.
It is essential to understand that social media works differently from traditional media. “On social media, things happen here and now. If you want to be part of the conversation, you have to seize the moment. In a few hours, it’s gone,” he explained. Aldi therefore decided to abandon the lengthy approval processes typical of retail and opted for quick, improvised creativity. Campaigns were often created in a single day and went live immediately. “Not everything was perfect. But it was out there at the moment it mattered,” he described.
A decisive change also came in the content itself. Whilst competitors on social media relied on product photos and promotional offers, Aldi decided to go in the opposite direction. “Everyone was showing food. But the audience was following music, gaming or pop culture. There was no overlap,” he explained. The brand therefore began building its content around humour and entertainment, which has long been one of its strengths. In doing so, it also built on previous successful campaigns, such as“Like Brands”or the Christmas series “Kevin the Carrot”.
Video: Aldi’s 2025 Christmas advert, source: Aldi
Internally, Aldi defined its approach with a simple principle: “We are pirates, not the navy.” This was intended to highlight the contrast with the rigid, hierarchical communication of its competitors. “The navy is formal, precise and slow. Pirates are fast, bold and seize opportunities,” Hawkins explained. This approach led to a whole series of viral campaigns – for example, the response to the ‘caterpillar cake’ controversy, which resonated strongly on British social media.
Results: growth across key metrics
The new strategy delivered significant commercial and brand results. According to YouGov data, Aldi rose to the top of the “buzz” indicator – i.e. current brand popularity – even against significantly larger competitors, despite their market share being up to three times greater.
The share of search also increased, having long significantly exceeded the brand’s market share. “It’s a behavioural signal. People did something and started looking for you,” he explained, outlining why he considers this metric essential. The campaign also significantly strengthened brand perception among a young audience (the so-called pre-family audience).
- Brandsalience rose by almost 20 points.
- Consideration (purchase consideration) rose from 51% to 58%.
- Trust in the brand grew by around 20%.
- Brand power increased by more than 1 percentage point, which was enough to close the previous gap with the competition.
- Engagement rose by 91.23%.
- Reach among the target group of young people without children increased by 7.4%.
- Net profit increased by £42 million.
- Return on investment (ROI) increased by 66.2%.
- Also notable were: social media campaigns achieved roughly 86% of the effectiveness of TV campaigns, despite accounting for only about a fifth of the investment.
Brands should therefore respond in real time and not be afraid to improvise. Content should adapt to the audience’s actual interests, and communication should be based on authenticity rather than copying the competition. “Marketing needs rules. But at the same time, it must leave room for chance and opportunity,” concluded Darren Hawkins in his speech in Prague.
Source: mediaguru.cz